Safety attachment for washing machines



Nov. 13 ,1923. I 11,473,993

H. F. KUHN-S SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 12, 1923 Patented Nov. 13, 1923 T Fdt HOWARD IE. KUHNS, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOB, WASHING MACHINES.

Application filed January 12. 1923. Serial No. 612,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Howano F. KUnNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allentown, in the county of Lehigh and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Safety Attachment for lVashing Machines, of which the following is a specifica'tion.

This invention relates to safety attach- 10 ments for ashing machines and is designed primarily as an improvement upon the structure disclosed in Patent 1,430,287 issued to me on September 26th, 1922.

It is a fact well recognized that one of the 15 principal objections to power driven washing machines is the danger of the hair of the user becoming entangled in the power driven wringer. Accidents of this kind have caused the severe injury and death of operators 2n and have usually been impossible to prevent because the person caught has been unable to reach the switch and shut off the current or has been so confused .as to be unable to locate and operate the switch. In the structure heretofore patented by me a foot operated lever has been disclosed for working a switch but the lever has been so located that it cannot always be reached in an emergency.

Instead it provides a foot engaging portion 3 projecting at one point only where it is difii cult to find it in the confusion attending the accident.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a washing machine with a cutoff switch having an operating member extending along and outside of those sides of the machine where the operator stands during the operation of the machine. Thus by either a voluntary or involuntary movement of a foot, the operating member will be depressed and the current shut off, it being unnecessary for the operator to endeavor to locate the member as if, for example, it should be extended from one side only of the machine.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departlng from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the pre-v ferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings- Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a washing machine having the present improvements.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22, Figure 1, the housing of the washing machine being outlined by broken lines.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, Figure l.

heferring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates a washing machine structure having a power driven shaft B operatively connected to the tub C and also to the wringer, not shown. The mechanism is adapted to be driven by an electric motor, not shown, in the usual or any well known way and an ordinary pull switch I) having a cord E is provided for controlling the current to the motor. The housing F of the. machine has legs extending downwardly from the corners thereof as shown at G.

The present invention includes a cross rod 1 journaled in the legs G at one end of the machine and extending from this rod is a frame 2 the corner portions of which are obliquely disposed or otherwise shaped, as shown at 3 to allow the sides and free end of the frame to project between the legs and be supported beyond the planes of the sides and one end of the housing F. The projecting portions of the frame constitute foot rails extending close to the legs G. A bar 5 is provided within the frame and is connected to one end of a spring (5 the other end of which is attached to the washing machine structure. Thus the frame 2 is yieldingly supported. An arm 7 extended upwardly from the bar 5 near the fulcrum rod l and has a forked offset ortion 8 adapted to engage the pull cord It will be obvious that by providing an attachment such as described the operator, if standing at any one of three sides of the ma chine can, by lifting and lowering one foot, engage and depress one of the foot rails and thus insure depression of the frame and actuation of the cord E to shut off the current.

lVhat is claimed is:

l. The combination with a washing machine, and a switch for controlling the same, of a yieldingly supported structure connected movably to the machine and having foot ails supported. outwardly beyond the llll planes of the sides and one end of the 1nachine, and means opera-tedby thedepression of the foot rails for actuating the switchto shutoif the current to the machine.

2. The combination with a machine having a switch for controling the operation thereof, of a yieldingly supportedstructure movably connected to the machine and having foot ails supported outwardly beyond the sides and one end of the machine, and

means operated by the depression of the structure for actuating The switch .1

In festin'iony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

I-IOVARD F. KUHE 

